Boxborough says 'no' to recreational pot businesses

Tuesday

There were seven types of recreational marijuana businesses defined and discussed Monday evening at Special Town Meeting at the Blanchard Memorial School, and all of them were prohibited by voters.

A good portion of the 500 seats inside the school's gym were occupied as the Special Town Meeting, which only addressed recreational marijuana businesses in town and where they would be allowed. Even though the town passed a general bylaw prohibiting recreational marijuana establishments (RME) at a Special Town Meeting last September, town officials were concerned that a general bylaw wasn't strong enough protection and wanted zoning bylaws to clearly regulate recreational marijuana in the town.

Abby Reip, chair of the Boxborough Planning Board, said that if strong zoning bylaws are in place it would avoid any confusion about the legality of a general bylaw. Reip noted that the state's Attorney General's office, as well as land court, recently disapproved or struck down general bylaws for conflicting with state bylaws. Zoning bylaws, she said, regulate land use. General bylaws do not. And the general bylaw prohibiting RME's has to also be passed by a majority ballot vote.

If these zoning bylaws are not in place and that ballot vote fails, an RME could locate themselves in town and in the area where their use is allowed. As an example, she said, if these bylaws are not in place a retail marijuana shop could locate itself on Route 111 where retail is allowed. Although, they could not locate themselves within 500 feet of a school.